Well producing, pressurizing and testing apparatus



May 15, 1956 Q R, DALE ET AL 2,745,497

PRESSURIZING AND TESTING APPARATUS WELL. PRODUCING Filed Jan. 18, 1954 IN VEN TOR5 roQ/VEK JOHN l? BAL@ L`,4Q5NCE R.. .Q4/ 5,

WELL PRODUCING, PRESSURZING AND TESTING APPARATUS Clarence R. Dale and John F. Dale, Long Beach, Calif.; said John F. Dale assigner to said Clarence R. Dale Application Iianuary 18, 1954, Serial No. 494,6il7

6 Claims. (Cl. 166-224) This invention relates to an improved uid passing unit to be carried at the lower end of a tubing string in a well, for controlling the flow of well fluid into the string, or for controlling the ow of pressurizing gas or water into the surrounding formation.

In a producing well, the rate of production may sometimes be increased by changing the position along the production zone at which the tubing string communicates with the well. In some wells, best results are attained by taking fluid mainly from the top of the production zone, while in other cases, maximum production may be achieved by drawing from the bottom of the zone. Similarly, when gas or other uid is being forced into the formation to pressurize the area and force oil into other wells, it may make a substantial diiference in results whether the uid is injected into the top or bottom of the producing formation.

A major object of the present invention is to provide a device to be carried at the lower end of a tubing string in a Well, and which will permit the well to be produced (or injected) selectively at either the top or bottom of a particular zone. The device is so designed as to be easily operable between a iirst condition in which the tubing string is in communication with the lower end of the zone, and a second condition in which it communicates with the upper end of the zone, the conversion being attained without the necessity for any bodily shifting movement of the tubing string itself. Particularly contemplated is an arrangement of this type which is constructed to allow the lowering of a test instrument into the producing zone of a well, for determining well temperature, pressure, rate of ow, or the like. In this connection, special importance is placed on the designing of the device to allow lowering of such an instrument directly into the producing zone, even though the well may normally be produced from the bottom of that zone.

Structurally, a device embodying the invention includes a body adapted for connection to the lower end of a Well tubing string, and carrying an elongated pipe projecting downwardly to the bottom of a predetermined zone in the well. The body of the device contains a passage or passages which place the tubing string in communication both with the upper end of the well zone, and with the downwardly projecting pipe for communicating therethrough with the bottom of the zone. Suitable means are then provided for closing oi communication with one of the zones, preferably the upper zone, if desired. These close off means may comprise a removable plug lowerable into the Well to a seated position in which it closes olf a predetermined passageway. Preferably, the device is so designed as to permit lowering of a test instrument, when desired, past the plug seat and into the production zone of the well. This may be accomplished either by removing the plug to pass the instrument, or by utilization of a specially formed plug through which an instuunent suspending line may extend.

The above and other features and objects of the present invention will be better understood from the followited States `Patent 25,745,497 Patented May 15, 1956 ing detailed description of the typical embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a vertical section through a device embodying the invention, shown positioned within a well.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary Vertical section through the Fig. 1 device; and

Fig. 3 is a view corresponding to Fig. 2 but showing a variational form of the invention.

Referring rst to Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown at 10 a device constructed in accordance with the present invention, the device being connected to the lower end of a string of well tubing or pipe. Only the lower section 11 of the string of tubing is shown, though it will of course be understood that the string comprises a large number of such tubular sections connected together. The string of tubing is in most instances the production string of the well, through which well fluid is passed upwardly to the surface of the earth. In some instances, however, the tubing string may be utilized for injecting gas or other iluid downwardly into the production zone of the well, to pressurize the production strata and thus force oil from the formation into other surrounding wells.

The device 10 is shown positioned at the production zone 12 of the well. The usual imperforate wall casing 15 lines the well from the surface of the earth downwardly to the upper end of the production zone, and carries at that zone a liner 13 containing perforations 14 through which fluid may ow from the production zone into the well, or vice versa. The device 10 includes a body 16 carried at the lower end of the tubing string, and positioned at the upper end of the production zone 12 and perforated liner 13. An elongated rigid preferably metal pipe 17 depends from body 16, and preferably extends vertically along the entire extent of production zone 12 and perforated liner 13, so that the lower open end of pipe 17 communicates with the well at the lower end of the production zone. In many instances, the perforated liner and production zone may be sufficiently long to require that pipe 1'7 be made of several interconnected stands of pipe. At its bottom end, pipe 17 may carry a nose member 117, whose bottom is tapered or rounded to facilitate lowering of the apparatus downwardly within a well past any irregularities which may be encountered, as for instance past the upper end of liner 13.

Body 16 contains a vertically extending preferably straight cylindrical bore 19 of a diameter corresponding approximately to the diameter of tubing section 11. The lower end of this section 11 is threadedly connected into the upper end of body bore 19 at 20, with bore 19 in vertical alinement with the inner passage within section 11 and the other sections of the tubing string. A tubular rigid seat member 21 is threadcdly connected into the lower end of bore 19 at 22, and in vertical alinement with bore 19 and tubing string 11, so that a well instrument may be lowered downwardly through the tubing string, bore 19 and seat member 21 and into the production zone of the well when the passages through these parts are unobstructed.

The communication between bore 19 and the well through seat member 21 may be closed off by a removable plug 23, which is lowerable downwardly through the tubing string into the body bore and to the positions of Figs. l and 2. Plug 23 has an enlarged diameter portion whose annular inclined undersurface is engageable with a mating upwardly facing tapered seat formed in the upper end of member 21 at 25. This of course supports plug 23 within the seat member. Beneath its enlarged diameter portion 24, plug 23 may carry a pair of annular' deformable seal members 245, typically formed of rubber or the like, for engaging the inner cylindrical seal surface 27 formed within seat member 21, to positively close off liuid liow vertically through member 21 when the plug is in position. The upper end of the plug 23 may present an annular somewhat enlarged diameter head 28, adapted to be gripped by a pulling tool for pulling plug 23 upwardly through bore 19 and the tubing string to the surface of the earth.

The upper end of depending pipe 17 is threadedly .connected at 12S into the lower end of a vertical bore 29 formed within body 16. Bore 29 is fixed to a side of bore 19, and may be of a -somewhat smaller diameter. At its upper end, bore 29 communicates through passage 3G with the upper end of bore 19. The lower end of passages 19 and 29 may be placed in communication by a ysmaller passage 31, which opens into bore 19 at a location beneath the pulling head 28 of plug 23, to allow circulation of fluid past that pulling head of the plug, and thus prevent the accumulation of sand about the pulling head, which sand might make it impossible for a pulling tool to grip the head.

ln discussing the operation of the Figs. 1 and 2 device, assume first that the apparatus is positioned within a producing well, into which oil is flowing through perforations 14 from the surrounding earth formation. If it is found desirable that the well be produced from the lower end of the production zone and perforated liner 13, plug 23 is lowered downwardly through the tubing string, of which pipe 11 is the lower section, and through the alined body bore 19 into the illustrated `seated position of engagement with seat member 21. In this condition, plug 23 closes ofi communication between the tubing string and the upper end of the production zone, so that the well is produced from the lower end of the production zone. That is, the oil or production fluid enters the lower end 18 of pipe 17, flows upwardly through that pipe and passages 29 and 30 to the upper end of bore 19, from which the fluid passes into the tubing string for delivery therethrough to the surface of the earth.

If it is desired to produce from the upper end of the production zone, or if it is desired to lower a test instrument or the like into the production zone of the well, plug 23 is pulled upwardly through the tubing string and from Vthe well by means of a suitable conventional pulling tool. With plug 23 thus removed, bore 19 and the production string are in direct communication through seat member 21 with the upper end of the production zone, so that the well uid may flow directly into seat member 21 and body 16 from the upper end of the production zone without following the extended path through pipe 17. As a result, a large portion of the fluid will normally take this more direct route.

With plug 23 removed from the well, a test instrument or the like may be lowered into the well on a wire line,

through the tubing string, body 16, and seat member 21 into the production zone of the well. This instrument may be of any of various types, for testing the flow rate, temperature, pressure or other conditions in the well. Preferably, the lower end of seat member 21 is internally flared at 121, as shown, to provide an upwardly converging throat for guiding the instrument into the rseat member when the instrument is pulled upwardly.

The above discussion of the operation of the Figs. 1 and 2 device has assumed that the apparatus is positioned within a producing well. it will of course be understood that the versatility of the device is just as great for a fluid injection or formation pressurizing well as for such a producing well. That is, if it is desired to inject gas, water or other fluid into the formation from the tubing string of which section 11 is the lower stand, the pressurizing fluid may be either forced entirely into the lower end of zone 12 (with plug 23 in its Fig. 1 position) or largely into the upper end of that zone (with plug 23 removed). Also with plug 23 removed, a iiow meter or other instrument may be lowered into the injection zone of the well at the same time that the pressurizing of the well is continued.

Fig. 3 shows a variational form of the invention, in which all of the parts are the same as in Figs. 1 and 2 eX- cept that a different plug 23a is utilized instead of plug 23. This plug 23a seats annularly at 25a against the upper seat formed in member 21, to thus be supported within member 21 in the same manner as plug 23 of the first form of the invention. ln Fig. 3, the plug 23a is so designed as to substantially close off fluid flow through seat member 21 at the same time that a well instrument 31 is lowered into production Zone of the well. This instrument 31 may be any of the various types of instrument previously mentioned. Instrument 31 is suspended by a wire line 32, which passes vertically through a passage 33 Within plug 23a. The upper small diameter portion of passage 33 is only slightly larger than the external diameter of wire line 32, so that the wire line substantially closes passage 33 but at the same time is freely vertically movable within that passage. A lower portion 34 of passage 33 may have an increased diameter to receive the upper end of instrument 31.

Instrument 31 has an enlarged diameter portion presenting an upwardly facing shoulder engaging a downwardly facing end surface of plug 23a at 35, so that upward force exerted against instrument 31 is transmitted to the plug, to permit pulling of the instrument and plug from the well as a unit by means of wire line 32. If desired, the upper end of plug 23a may present a series of annular downwardly facing shoulders 36 for engagement by a pulling tool in the event that the instrument and plug cannot be pulled by the wire line.

The manner of use of theplug and instrument in Fig. 3

will be apparent from the above description. If it is.

desired to lower the instrument 31 into the production or injection zone of the well while at the same time closing off direct communication between the tubing 11 and the upper end of the production or injection zone, plug 23a and instrument 31 are lowered into the well at the end of wire line 32 and to the positions of Fig. 3., The plug then substantially closes off fluid iiow through seat member 21, while instrument 31 may be lowered even further into the production or injection zone for taking the desired temperature, pressure, flow rate, or other reading. After the test has vbeen completed, the instrument and plug may be easily pulled upwardly from the well, so that the test information may be obtained from the instrument.

We claim:

l. A device adapted to be connected to a tubing string located in a producing well comprising, a body having means at its upper end for connecting the same to the lowermost end of the tubing string, a first passage extending completely through the body in alignment with the axis of the tubing string and communicating with the bore of the tubing string, a second passage in said body parallel to said first passage, said second passage being laterally offset from said first `passage and having a lower end open to the well yand an upper closed end, tubular means in said {irst passage at the lower end thereof forming a seat adapted to receive a plug thereon to block off said first passage, means spaced above said seat communicating said second passage with said first passage, and a depending pipe element connected to the body in alignment with said second passage and communicating therewith, said pipe element extending downwardly from said second passage to a point below the bottom of said body whereby the tubing string is communicable with the well only through said second passage when said iirst passage is blocked off by a plug received on said seat and the tubing string is communicable with the well at different levels through both of said passages in the absence of a plug in said rst passage.

2. A device as defined by claim l, in which said body contains a plug engaged against said seat.

3. A device as defined by claim 2, in which said plug is apertured to pass a wire line therethrough.

4. A device -as dened by claim l, in which said tubular means comprises a tube threaded into the lower end of said rst passage.

5. A device as defined by claim 1, in which said means communicating said second passage with said iirst passage comprises an upper passage and also a lower passage opening directly above the plug.

6. A device adapted to be connected to a tubing string located in a producing well comprising, a body having means at its upper end for connecting the same to the lowermost end of the tubing string, a first passage extending completely through the body in alignment with the axis of the tubing string and communicating with the bore of the tubing string, a second passage in said body parallel to said first passage, said second passage being 1at erally otset from said first passage and having a lower end open to the well and an upper closed end, plug seating means at the lower end of said rst passage and in alignment therewith to receive a plug to block oi said first passage, means spaced above said seating means communicating with said second passage with said first passage,

and a depending pipe element connected to the body in alignment with said second passage and communicating therewith, said pipe element extending downwardly from said second passage to a point below the bottom of said body whereby the tubing string is communicable with the well only through said second passage when said rst passage is blocked olf by a plug received by said seating means and the tubing string is communicable with the well at diierent levels through both of said passages in the absence of a plug in said rst passage.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A DEVICE ADAPTED TO BE CONNECTED TO A TUBING STRING LOCATED IN A PRODUCING WELL COMPRISING, A BODY HAVING MEANS AT ITS UPPER END FOR CONNECTING THE SAME TO THE LOWERMOST END OF THE TUBING STRING, A FIRST PASSAGE EXTENDING COMPLETELY THROUGH THE BODY IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE AXIS OF THE TUBING STRING AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE BORE OF THE TUBING STRING, A SECOND PASSAGE IN SAID BODY PARALLEL TO SAID FIRST PASSAGE, SAID SECOND PASSAGE BEING LATERALLY OFFSET FROM SAID FIRST PASSAGE AND HAVING A LOWER END OPEN TO THE WELL AND AN UPPER CLOSED END, TUBULAR MEANS IN SAID FIRST PASSAGE AT THE LOWER END THEREOF FORMING A SEAT ADAPTED TO RECEIVE A PLUG THEREON TO BLOCK OFF SAID FIRST PASSAGE, MEANS SPACED ABOVE SAID SEAT COMMUNICATING SAID SECOND PASSAGE WITH SAID FIRST PASSAGE, AND A DEPENDING PIPE ELEMENT CONNECTED TO THE BODY IN ALIGNMENT WITH SAID SECOND PASSAGE AND COMMUNICATING THEREWITH, SAID PIPE ELEMENT EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID SECOND PASSAGE TO A POINT BELOW THE BOTTOM OF SAID BODY WHEREBY THE TUBING STRING IS COMMUNICABLE WITH THE WELL ONLY THROUGH SAID SECOND PASSAGE WHEN SAID FIRST PASSAGE IS BLOCKED OFF BY A PLUG RECEIVED ON SAID SEAT AND THE TUBING STRING IS COMMUNICABLE WITH THE WELL AT DIFFERENT LEVELS THROUGH BOTH OF SAID PASSAGES IN THE ABSENCE OF A PLUG IN SAID FIRST PASSAGE. 